The Power Princesses

by Phantom-Dragon

The Mistmane Auction House (The Niriks Strike) – Part 2

Before the crime happened, let alone triggered the silent alarm, Mei Ling walked in, posing herself as a young journalist, meeting the the manager at the front desk.

The manager was startled by Mei Ling's sudden appearance, "Uh – excuse me?" She greeted.

"Hi. Mei Ling." Mei Ling introduced herself. "I'm an intern, and I'm covering the Storm estate sale?"

"Hello..." The manager greeted. "John said we'd do an exclusive tomorrow?"

"I like to get a jump on things," Mei Ling replied.

"Well, I don't," The manager said sternly. "You'll have to come back tomorrow..."

"Right. Ok," Mei Ling apologizes as she took her leave, "Sorry for troubling you then..." The manager turned her back for a moment, while Mei Ling took out her phone and dialed a number. "Hey, John, sir? I think we're gonna have to run another piece for the cover...How about that expressionist piece?"

Just as she had hoped, the manager overheard and took the bait, "You know what? Maybe I can make today work," The manager said, walking over to Mei Ling.

"Are you sure?" The girl asked.

"You're here!" The manager replied. "No moment like the present."

"Great, thank you!" Mei Ling smiled, before she talks into the phone. "Hey John? Nevermind. We're all good for now."

"Let's get started," The manager said, as she walks away with Mei Ling following.

Luckily for Mei Ling, the manager was far out of earshot to hear what was really going on in Mei Ling's phone.

"–for costumer service on our kitchen appliances, press 1–" Before the manager could hear the message, Mei Ling quickly shuts her phone off.

"Look around and familiarize yourself with the items," The manager advised to Mei Ling, who nodded as she walks around the building to have a look at the stunning artifacts on display. "I'll be waiting by the Tao Tei pottery when you're ready to begin."

"You got it," Mei Ling answered.

Everywhere Mei Ling looks, a lot of the artifacts appeared to be collections from China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Turning to the left, Mei Ling walks up to a large, magnificent painting of four dragons, hovering over four tall mountains, with rivers that crossed over the land.

A painting of China's classic story of the Four Dragons. Han Dynasty

Long ago, there were no rivers, or lakes, nor rain. So the people's crops have dried out and they grew hungry. So, out of sorrow and wanting to help, the four dragons – one black, one pearl, one yellow, and a long one – flew to the heavens to convince the Jade Emperor to make it rain. When he didn't keep his promise, the dragons took it upon themselves to make it rain, and save the people, who were grateful. But the emperor got mad, and had them imprisoned under four great mountains. Nevertheless, the dragons continued to do good for the people, turning themselves into rivers, so they can forever keep the land thriving.

"I haven't heard that story since I was kid," Mei Ling smiled in nostalgia. "I've really liked dragons, especially these four. Even after one noble act had sentenced them to a lifetime of imprisonment, they still want to do good for the people they were serving. Maybe that's how heroes struggle. To do good for the people and the home you love, even if there are others who disagree with your motives and your actions..."

Turning to the right, Mei Ling walked over to another portrait, behind a glass wall, and sees a worn painting of what appeared to be a dragon with cloven hooves and a horse's tail.

"Hmm, a longma?" Mei commented. "Half-dragon, half-horse."

A traditional painting of a Longma. Han Dynasty

The longma[Lung–Ma], or "dragon-horse", is a fabled winged horse that has the scales of a dragon. Seeing a longma is considered to be a good omen of a legendary sage-ruler. In Feng Shui, they are seen as a symbol of protection, power, abundance, and good luck.

"Kinda like Chinese versions of the pegasi," Mei Ling commented. "I used to play with My Little Pony dolls when I was a little girl. But growing up, they sorta lost touch for me since...none of them are longmas, or qilin...like that!"

Mei Ling ran up to an authentic plate, with paintings of flowers and symbols that surrounds a unicorn-like creature.

"Wow, what a beautiful Qilin!" Mei observed, before she reads the tablet of its description.

One Qilin plate. Yuan Dynasty

Like the longma, the Qilin (or by a popular term, by the Japanese, the Kirin) is a fabled creature that originated from Chinese folktales. It is said to be an omen of good luck. As such, it has appeared in several paintings and sculptures, depicting its beauty.

"Ah, the Japanese called it a kirin," May noted. "It's kind of like a unicorn, except it has the body of a deer, the scales of a fish, the mane and tail of a lion, and a single antler from the forehead."

May then walks over to a glass container, sitting on a pedestal, holding a bust of a head, wearing a shining helmet, made of dark metals.

The Kuro Kabuto

A fabled helmet that was originally worn by the late Oroku Saki – The Shredder. It was created by the infamous ninja thief, Koga Takuza, who terrorized ancient Japan, 1,500 years ago. To forge it, he used the tokens of his defeated enemies, creating a helmet stronger than steel. Since then, this helmet has been the symbol of the Foot.

May turns her head and sees a portrait of two cowboys squaring off with one another.

A painting depicting the legendary marshal, Flash Magnus Williams squaring off against the ruthless outlaw, Dusty Blackbullet, who terrorized the west coast. This painting was made during the 1860s, more commonly referred to as the Wild West, when Maretropolis was called Fortuna at the time.

"I've heard about this one." May said. "There's actually a movie based on this called 'Showdown At Fortuna'. It was one of dad's favorites and it what got him into western movies. From what I can remember in history class Flash Magnus Williams shot Blackbullet in the eye but it didn't killed him, the outlaw then fled to Blackwater Woods and was never seen nor heard from again after that. They say he died in the forest but I'm not too sure."

"Hmmm, what's this?" May asked herself, when she walked over to have a look at a painting she's never seen before, which depicts a group of knights facing a shadowed entity that possess red eyes and long horns.

The young journalist looks at the tablet for a description of the painting, but only finds the title that reads – Holy Crusade.

"Are you ready to begin?" The manager asked.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Mei Ling confirmed, as she walked over to meet the manager at the Tao Tei pottery.

With that, Mei Ling proceeded to take some pictures of the artworks on display, with the manager giving some lectures on the subjects. After about half-an-hour on gazing and admiring the artworks, the manager ended the tour and photoshoots, with May, by capturing the cover photo. But just before they could begin, a phone call rang from inside her office.

"I'll be right back," The woman said, as she went into the room to take the call.

Mei Ling waited out in the loft in the meantime, when she looked through the door that was left opened and she gasped upon seeing the statue of a nine-headed snake in the doorway.

"Hey! I've seen that statue before! It shouldn't be there!" Mei Ling exclaimed.

Reacting fast, Mei Ling quickly took a photo of the statue, before the manager came back.

"I'm sorry for that," The manager said, upon returning from her office. "Now then, where were we?"

"We were just about to grab a cover photo," Mei Ling reminded. "But, if I may, what's the story on that sculpture?" She pointed to the nine-headed snake in the office.

"Oh, that's just...that's not part of the upcoming auction," The manager explained. "It's a gift...from a friend."

"But what is it?" Mei Ling asked. "It's not everyday I see an 9-head dragon..."

"Oh, it's not a dragon per say," The manager explained. "It's a Xiangliu. A mythical snake demon from Chinese mythology," Wanting to change the topic, the manager hastily closed the door, before she turned to Mei Ling and smiled, "Now, about that cover photo?"

"Um, sure okay..." With that, Mei Ling took the manager's photo, before she was beckoned to leave by the manager. 'She seems real insistent on wanting me to leave...' May thought to herself.

The girl was just about to reach the door, when she heard the manager's phone rang from behind and she turned to see the manager answering the phone. And from the look of it, the call seemed important.

"Hello? Oh! Sir, it's you!" The manager exclaimed in a tone that sounded both frightened and professional. "Yes sir, everything's in order. We're all set for the upcoming sale estate, sir. And a reporter's already here to cover it."

Seeing the manager was busy, talking on the phone, Mei Ling decided to use that to her advantage to sneak into the office for answers, particularly, the Xiangliu statue.

Mei Ling proceeded to crouch down and hides herself behind some display cases of the art imports, to avoid being seen, while the manager continues to talk with someone on the phone.

"Yes sir, I know we scheduled for the reporter to come by tomorrow," The manager continued. "But for some reason, they changed their mind at the last minute and...yes sir. Of course sir. No, never sir."

This kept on going, until Mei Ling finally arrived outside the door to the office, where she turns the door knob and let herself in. Once inside the office, Mei Ling walked up to the statue for a closer inspection.

"I remember an article about this statue, back in China, a few years back," May began. "It was stolen from a museum a few years back. Rumor has it that it's secretly a vault and was used by thieves in the past to store precious goods. But what is it doing here?"

Turning to a portrait beside the statue, Mei Ling examined the picture to see it was of the manager and the Storm King together, with the Xiangliu statue behind them.

"Huh, the snake's heads look different in the picture," Mei noted, before she walked over to the manager's desk.

May found a document with information regarding the snake demon. They read:

"Xiangliu – a poisonous nine-headed snake demon that was known for bringing floods and destruction in Chinese Mythologies. In older art depictions of the demon, each head were positioned to look in different directions. This statue's most common pose is watchful.

Clockwise:
1. Up) 2. Down) 3. Left) 4. Down-Right) 5. Up-Left) 6. Right) 7. Up-right) 8. Down-Left) 9. Forward)

"Huh, the statue's heads can move?" May inquired to herself, as she takes the document and decided to give it a try for herself with the real McCoy. "Up, down, left, down-right..."

The girl turned the heads in the instructed directions above, until at last, they were all set in place.

"Bingo!" Mei said happily to herself, as a set of gears turned and clicked, before a secret compartment opened up from inside one of the snake's head to reveal two files. "Huh, what're these?" She asked, taking a read of the files. "Daybreaker and Predator's Wine? What's–"

Mei Ling's question was interrupted, when she heard a commotion outside. Cracking the door just a smidge, Juniper took a peek to see a squadron of masked gunmen walking in, carrying guns, and wearing bullet proof vests.

The manager came walking towards them, "Hey! Who are you? You can't–" Before she could finish, the woman was slapped across the face, and fell to the floor.

"Where're the files?" The squad leader demanded. "Where're are they? Tell us, or I'll shoot you dead!"

"They're in there!" the woman pointed, to which the masked men followed.

Not wanting to stick around, Mei Ling took both of the files and took her leave through another door in the office, where she took refuge, inside the storage room.

"I was on my way out when I saw you gals and guy coming!" Mei Ling concluded, to the astonished Hum Drum and Power Princesses.

"I like this girl," Zapp commented.

"Me too!" Fili-Second agreed.

"That was a big risk you've taken!" Masked Matter-Horn commented. "You're lucky to be alive!"

"Well, I did save your boyfriend's life a second ago," Mei Ling scoffed, much to Trot's embarrassment.

"He's–He's not! He's not my boyfriend!" The lead superheroine flustered, while Ken couldn't help but smirk at the idea. "I mean, he's a boy, and he's our friend, but not in the way that's–" Wanting to escape the awkwardness, Masked Matter-Horn regains her composure as she gets everyone back on track.

"Look! For your safety, I believe it's imperative that we get you out of this place," Masked Matter-Horn stated.

"Yeah, I'd listen to her, May," Hum Drum said. "Whoever these masked men are, they're armed up and they're bad news."

"Like I didn't notice?" Mei Ling asked rhetorically, before she holds up the files she had taken. "I'll be on my way out. But these files are very important, if they're being targeted by some madmen with guns."

"So, just give it to them!" Fili-Second joked. "And maybe they won't shoot you dead if you do it politely!"

"Fili!" The other heroes scoleded.

"You're right. Not helping..."

Turning back, Masked Matter-Horn contemplated, "Okay. If these files are this important to you, just as they are to those criminals, then we'll do whatever we can to get you out, safely."

"So what's the plan?" Aurora asked, swinging her sword, eager for some actions.

"We stick with the stealth attacks," Masked Matter-Horn answered. "There's still a hostage out there, and we can't risk a full on attack. Marvelous, Radiance, you come with me. Fili-Second, scout out the building for any backups. But do it quietly. Zapp, you take Saddle and keep an eye on the manager."

"What about me?" Hum Drum asked.

"Hum Drum, you stay and protect Mei Ling," Masked Matter-Horn instructed. "Stay out of sight. Once the coast is clear, make a break for the exit."

Before Hum Drum could protest, Mei Ling interrupted, "Sounds like a plan!" She smiled. "Wow, this is...really mindblowing! I still can't believe I'm in the middle of a break-in, with superheroes and their sidekick!"

"Well, technically, I'm a hero-in-training," Hum Drum stated.

"Which essentially means you're just a sidekick," Mei Ling countered.

Without another word, or any chance to hear an objection, the Power Princesses have already taken their leave to take their positions, and left Hum Drum alone with Mei Ling. When the girl wasn't looking, Hum Drum looked to the side to take a glance at the girl.

'Wow, I can't believe it's really her!' Ken exclaimed excitedly. 'After all this time, it felt like it hasn't been a year, or so. I almost want to tell her who I really am! But I can't...and I'm not sure if I will...someday...'

Wanting to catch up on lost times with the girl, while maintaining his facade, Hum Drum began, "So...how've you been? I mean...before you came here, I mean..."

"Well, I've been better," Mei Ling replied. "My dad and I just moved here from Lake Placid, New York. So, we've had a long travel and we're just getting settled."

"Yeah, I thought so," Hum Drum nodded. "And your dad...is a police officer, right?"

"Yep. He was the top student of his class at the police academy. He cleaned up the streets and was awarded a medal of honor for his services and heroism."

"Sounds like the kind of stand up police officer we all need here in Maretropolis."

"No kidding. The police officers in this city are seriously understaffed! Doesn't your mayor want to make this city better than being crime ridden?"

"If I had a nickel for every questions about the mayor..." Hum Drum shook his head. "Mayor Verko isn't the kind of guy I'd vote to win for a re-election either. Besides, the guy's too darn cheap. He's all about making less of our needs, for more of his wants."

"Like what, to be exact?"

"That's a question I can't answer too simply. The guy's got a really long grocery list. Which is why the girls and I are practically the 'home guards' to handle stuff, when the police can't."

"So, you all work for the police then?"

"Uh...in a way, yeah," Turning his attention to the files Mei Ling was clutching onto, Hum Drum asked, "So what is it about those files that these guys want so badly?"

"One of them's about something called 'Daybreaker,'" Mei Ling answered, opening up one of the files of the said subject. "According to these plans, the Storm King was building a secret research lab for it. Not sure what it is, but from the looks of these notes, it scares him and...Verko."

“The Storm King, huh?” Hum Drum commented. “As in the CEO and founder of Storm Watch Enterprise?”

"I think so," Mei Ling replied, turning to look at Hum Drum. "Why? Do you know him?"

"Only that he is one of the biggest business tycoons to have ever existed," Hum Drum answered. "Never thought he'd be involve in something this controversial. And the mayor? What's he got to do with any of this?"

"I don't know," Mei Ling replied. "But this other one, 'Predator's Wine', is something he finds most profitable. Not sure what it is, but these plans seem to make it sound like it's not something I recommend in my everyday drinks."

The Power Princesses all took their places, playing their roles in the plan of attack, devised by Masked Matter-Horn.

Masked Matter-Horn had frozen one of the unsuspecting Niriks on the spot.

Not too far, behind a display case of a large painting, a couple Niriks were heard in an idle chit-chat, in Japanese.

"What are they saying?" Marvelous asked, frustrated by the foreign language.

"Hmmm," Masked Matter-Horn pondered, as she strains to listen on their conversation. "They're talking awfully soft, but from what I've gathered, they were looking for a bell..." Masked Matter-Horn confirmed. "A special bell that is rumored to grant wishes."

“A wish granting bell?” Radiance exclaimed. “My, sounds promising. And is that what they’re here for?”

“We’ll find out later, once we clear the area and get both Ken and May out,” Masked Matter-Horn reminded.

With that, the three Power Princesses went back to work on the task at hand.

Mistress Marvelous was crawling along the support beams, shrouded in the darkness of the shadows, above the lights, close to the ceilings. Safely concealed, Mistress was able to get a drop on the Niriks below, using her lasso to snatch them up into the air, where she punched the surprised masked gunmen, knocking their lights out.

Radiance was prowling across the floor, with graceful agilities, like those of a cat, stalking its prey from behind. One of the masked gunman was standing guard at an entrance, when Radiance struck him from behind, without warning, a chop to his neck, that rendered him unconscious.

With that task done, Radiance dragged him away, hiding the down man out of sight. Just then, another masked gunman came walking by, when he noticed the empty entry, where one of his comrades should be.

Holding his gun up, the gunman cautiously entered the room, ready for anything that might try to jump out and attack him. What he failed to realize, however, was that the sneak attack was from above. Before he had time to react, a gust of icy wind came shooting down and froze him in an icy cocoon, putting him into cryostasis, courtesy of Masked Matter-Horn.

"どうしたの？(What's going on?)" A nearby masked gunman exclaimed, having heard the commotion. "何? (What?)" He exclaimed in alarm, upon seeing one of his comrades frozen.

Before the masked gunman could alert the rest, Mistress Marvelous quickly lassoed him by the leg, pulling him up into the air, where she banged his head against a metal beam, knocking him out cold, before she gently dropped him back down onto the floor.

This didn't go unheard, as some other masked gunmen heard the landing and came over to investigate. Working fast, Radiance concentrated her powers into her bracelets, projecting two pairs of hands that stretched down and snatched the guns out of the gunmen's hands. With their adversaries unarmed, Masked Matter-Horn and Mistress Marvelous leapt down from their perch, onto the bewildered masked criminals, and together, they quickly fought the two masked men with ease.

Mistress swept her leg across the floor to trip one of the masked men, followed by an elbow drop to the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. At the same time, Matter-Horn landed a flying kick at the other masked men, shattering his mask. The criminal stumbled back from the impact. Not giving him a chance to recover, the lead heroine fired a blast of icy winds on the floor, freezing it into a slippery ice, causing the man to slip and fall on his back, knocking him out.

"That should do it for now," Masked Matter-Horn stated. "Now let's clear the other room and–"

Suddenly, a girl screaming was heard.

“NO! Let me go!” Mei Ling shouted.

"MAY!" Hum Drum shouted, followed by a struggle. “Let her go you—Aah!!”

“HUM DRUM!!” Masked Matter-Horn screamed in alarm.

Mei Ling was being dragged by the collar of her shirt, by one of the masked men, before Hum Drum came to her aid.

"LET GO OF HER!!" Hum Drum shouted, waving his bo staff wildly at the masked man, hitting him on the head.

However, the masked man simply shrugged the blow off, as he kicked Hum Drum away, before he threw Mei Ling onto the floor and kicked her in the head, stunning her. The girl fell limp, dropping the files, which the man didn't hesitate to snatch away.

"MAY!!" Hum Drum shouted, rushing to the girl's side.

"Don't move!" One of the masked gunmen barked, holding his gun at Hum Drum. "Drop the stick. DROP IT, or I kill her."

Hum Drum was just about to comply, when a blur of pink came in and knocked the gun out of his hand. The same soon followed the other gunmen in the room, before the pink blur stopped, revealing herself to be Fili-Second. At that moment, a door burst open in a blazing explosion of sparks, as Zapp and Spruce Spanner jumped into the room, with the former unsheathing her sword, ready for action. Completing the group, Mistress Marvelous kicked down a set of doors, with herself, Masked Matter-Horn, and Radiance entering the fray.

Seeing how dire the situation has become, the masked man, carrying the files, makes a hasty retreat for the exit, to which Zapp and Fili-Second leapt into action.

"HEY! Where do you think you're going?" Zapp shouted as she and Fili-Second gave chase.

Unfortunately, one of the masked men reacted fast, and surprisingly knocked both Zapp and Fili back, with a punch, that somehow exploded upon impact, allowing the man with the files to escape.

"Oh! Oh dear goodness!" Spruce exclaimed, as she ran over to check on her two friends. "Are you alright?"

"We'll live," Zapp replied as she got up.

"How'd they stop me?" Fili-Second exclaimed in disarray. "No one's ever been quick enough to stop me before!"

"Uh, girls?" Masked Matter-Horn said, bring the Power Princesses' attention to the matter at hand.

The heroes looked to see they were surrounded by more of their masked adversaries, "Now what?" Hum Drum asked.

"You had to ask?" Zapp asked. "FIGHT!"

With that, the Power Princesses and the masked men charged at each other, starting an epic battle.

"Go! HIDE!" Hum Drum said to Mei Ling and the manager, who both went in separate directions to hide from the battle.

At the start of the battle, Mistress Marvelous lassoed one of the masked men by the hands, before she tried to pull him towards her. However, the alien girl was taken by surprise when the man pulled her towards him instead, and he landed a kick to her face.

Fili-Second was throwing some rapid kicks and punches, and landed some hits. But she was caught by surprise when the man’s hands started to engulf in a blazing, dark fiery aura, and he threw an explosive punch that knocked her into a glass case, shattering it.

"Whoa! Are those real fire?" Ken asked, having observed the fiery display.

"They don't look like normal earth fire to me," Masked Matter-Horn observed.

The same thing happened to Zapp, when she swung her sword at one of the masked man, whose hands were pulsing with the same fiery aura. Somehow, with quick reflexes and enhanced strength, the man caught a stroke of Zapp’s sword, Thunderer, in the palms of his hands. Fueled by Zapp’s determination and frustration, the sword’s blade crackled with electricity, clashing together with the intensity of the fiery aura from the man’s hands. Then, in an shattering explosion, Zapp and the man were knocked away from each other.

“This is crazy!” Hum Drum exclaimed in fear, watching the intensity of the fight rising. “This is like Spider-Man and the Inner Demons crazy! WHOA!” The boy ducked his head, nearly getting blasted by a fireball.

“Hum Drum,” Masked Matter-Horn began, while blasting a mist at one of the men. “How about you just sit this one out?”

“I hate to say it, but... I agree with you on this one, Masked,” Hum Drum said as he hides behind a wooden box, while watching the battle unfold.

The masked men have proven themselves to be as comment and capable of fighting the Power Princesses to a stand. Even without their guns, somehow, their use in the fiery aura on their hands have evened the odds for them against the alien girls.

Masked Matter-Horn was using her powers to freeze some of the attacking men, while also shooting energy blasts to combat against their fireballs.

Mistress Marvelous continued to use her lasso to ensnare some of the attacking men, before she mustered every ounce of her strength to slam them onto the ground, or the walls. When she’s not using her lasso, she reached into her utility belt and pulled out a boomerang, and threw it towards one of the masked men, hitting him across the face, before her boomerang returned.

Radiance was protecting herself from one of the masked man, who threw fiery punches and kicks, which she blocked and evaded. In retaliation, Radiance conjured a pink anvil and bashed it across the masked man’s head.

BANG BANG

Some of the masked men had recovered their guns, and didn’t hesitate to open fire on the Power Princesses.

Radiance quickly projected light violet shields to protect herself and her friends from the bullets.

Fili-Second easily avoided the bullets, swinging to the sides to evade them. When the gunmen were out and proceeded to reload, Fili-Second immediately seized the opportunity to fight back, sweeping them off their feet, before she pulled out a pizza ball from her hair.

“Time for a pizza ball~” She sang, before the pizza bomb exploded, covering the criminals in pepperoni and cheese.

Suddenly, a tall, bulkier masked man, most likely the reinforcement, came charging into the room, wielding a sword coated in the same flaming aura.

"I got this!" Zapp said, holding her sword tight and she zipped off in a streak of electricity and clashed blade with the man.

But much to her and her friends' surprise and literal shock, when the two blades clashed, it resulted in a powerful explosion that knocked the two sword wielders back, off their feet. Nevertheless, they quickly recovered from the shock and resumed the fight. Sparks of fire and electricity danced in the air, as the two blades clash together.

Lastly, Spruce Spanner quivered as she hides behind a wall, watching the battle from a safe distance.

During the battle, one of the masked gunmen’s bullets was fired too close to where Mei Ling was hiding.

“May!” Carefully crawling towards the girl’s hiding spot, Hum Drum consulted the young journalist. “Hey. It’s too dangerous for you to be here. We need to get you out of here, quick!”

“But how?” Mei Ling asked.

“There’s an open window, over there!” Hum Drum pointed. “There, by that Fenghuang statue. C’mon! Follow me, and keep your head down.”

With that, Hum Drum proceeded to lead Mei Ling to the exit, while trying to avoid being caught in the crossfire of the battle that was raging on.

“AUGH!!” Mistress Marvelous yelled, as one of the masked man held her down, on a glass container, threatening to choke her with the stick of his axe, close to where Hum Drum and Mei Ling were.

With a grunt, Mistress Marvelous kicked the man off her as she resumes the fight.

The worst was far from over, when a masked man was backed up too close to the two, while he was engaged in a battle against Fili-Second. Hum Drum whipped out the stun gun from last week, with Radiance, and jabbed it into the masked man’s back, knocking him out.

“Nice work, Hum Drum!” Fili-Second smiled, before she zipped away.

At last, Hum Drum and Mei Ling arrived at the open window. Unfortunately, it was rather higher than they expected.

Without wasting any time to think, Hum Drum cupped his hands together.

“Here, get on!” He said, as Mei Ling puts her foot into his hands, before he stood up, giving her a boost up.

Mei Ling held her hands up and gripped tightly onto the ledge of the window. Wincing from the cold metal, biting into her hands, Mei Ling strained to pull herself up.

“Little help here please?” Mei Ling grimaced.

“I got you,” Hum Drum replied, turning to push the girl up.

Unfortunately, their escape attempt didn’t go unnoticed. One of the masked men saw Hum Drum helping Mei Ling escape. With a twist of his body, he slammed his axe and sent a shockwave in Hum Drum’s direction.

Spruce Spanner was the first to see it happened, "HUM DRUM! LOOK OUT!!"

Hum Drum looked, just in time to see the man slam his axe on the ground. Activating his the super springs in his boots, Hum Drum super-jumped and pushed Mei Ling all the way out of the window, before he attempts to dodge the attack, but too late; upon impact, the shockwave exploded and Hum Drum was thrown across the floor in a tumble and roll.

“HUM DRUM!!!” The Power Princesses screamed in horror.

“Oh no!” Spruce Spanner shouted, running towards the injured boy. “Are you alright?”

In response, Hum Drum, scorched, clutch his aching side, coughing horribly, as Spruce looks him over to discover a bruise mark on the back of his head, and his face was blackened from the explosion.

“Ooh, my life...just flashed before my eyes...” Hum Drum groaned in a daze, before he collapsed.

Seeing the boy bruised and battered, Spruce felt a turmoil of conflicting emotions stirring up inside of her. Like a storm, her heart was beating faster and louder, like thunder.

Finally, something snapped as Spruce Spanner narrowed her eyes and she looked towards the masked men with a look of pure rage.

“HOW. DARE. YOOOOOUUUUU?!!!!” Spruce screamed in a bloodcurdling screech.

“Oh now you’re in trouble,” Zapp said to the men.

“We’re in trouble!” Fili-Second stated.

The Power Princesses braced themselves, while the masked men looked on in bewilderment, watching as Spruce Spanner undergoes a horrifying, yet alluring, transformation. Her eyes turned a shade of red, that some might've easily mistaken it to be blood, the muscles on her arms and legs grew bigger and bulkier, and her height increased. Her suit began to tear up, with holes ripping into her sleeves, along her thighs, to further show her muscle growth, and her boots were squeezing her enlarged legs.

With a bellowing primal roar, like that of a mad animal, Saddle Rager's anger has taken form from the inside-out.

"撃て！(Shoot it!)" One of the masked men ordered.

The masked gunmen immediately opened fire on Saddle Ragers. But her enhanced skin has become too thick, and the bullets simply bounced off and fell to the floor, with the shells clinking at the bottom and ringing through the air.

Angered even further, Saddle Rager lunged forward and proceeded to thrash and beat every of the masked men to a pulp. She snatched one of the men and brutally thrashed him around the room, slamming him on the floor repeatedly, with reckless abandon. One of the masked men ran up to her and tried to slash her with his fiery axe. But the blade barely left a scratch, and Saddle swung her bulky fist, throwing him off. With another loud roar, Saddle Rager slammed her fists into the ground, creating a tremendous shockwave, knocking both the masked men and her friends off their feet, and causing the structures to collapse. A downed wire fell and somehow, it started a fire.

"行こう！(Let's go!)"

Seeing how dire the situation has become, and knowing that they've got what they came for, the masked men made a hasty retreat, while carrying away their injured comrades. But Saddle Rager would have none of that.

She picked up a few of the art imports and containers and proceeded to hurl them after the masked criminals, trying to prevent them from getting away.

"SADDLE! STOP!!!" Masked Matter-Horn shouted, trying to stop her angry friend, but to no avail.

Saddle Rager pushed Masked Matter-Horn to the side, and resumes her pursuit, only for one of her hands to be ensnared by Mistress Marvelous. With another frustrated grunt, Saddle Rager swings her arm to pull Mistress off her feet, followed by a backfist that hit the strong, lasso-wielding heroine in the face, sending her rolling across the floor.

"Ooh, that's smarts," Mistress Marvelous groaned, rubbing her afflicted nose and jaw.

"THE ARTS!" The manager wailed. "These works of arts are priceless! They cannot be destroyed by the fire!"

"No worries, I got them," Fili-Second said as she quickly went to work, saving the works of arts from being destroyed.

Focusing her powers, Radiance tried to restrain Saddle Rager's anger, by projecting violet chains and cuffs on the rampaging alien girl's arms and legs, into a full straitjacket. Unfortunately, Saddle Rager's rage was too strong for Radiance to maintain her mental hold to contain the former's rage.

"Can't...hold...on," Radiance groaned. "Much..."

"LONGEEEEEEER~" Fili-Second finished, while saving all the priceless works of arts from the fire.

"Not the time, Fili!" Masked Matter-Horn scolded the fast girl, while trying to put out the flames, with her ice powers, but was finding her progress hindered, when Saddle Ragers broke free from her restraints. "Oh no..."

Saddle Ragers, still just as angry, was breathing heavily like a wild beast. She was even more furious, with not only the facts her quarries have escaped, but the fact that her friends had tried to stop her and let them get away. With another loud roar, Saddle Ragers took her anger out on her own teammates.

She punched Masked Matter-Horn, causing the girl to break her concentration on putting out the fire. She kicked Mistress Marvelous into a wall. Radiance project a shield, struggling to hold it up, which was a difficult task, given Saddle Rager's immense strength and that the angry girl wasn't letting up anytime soon. Zapp, out of impulse, came flying in and with a swing of her sword, she shot a blast of lightning at Saddle Rager from behind, electrocuting the angry girl. Then, with a blast, Saddle Rager stood, still in her monstrous form, charred, and her hair puffed up into a large scorched afro.

Zapp couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Oh, you should see yourself!" She laughed. "You look so bad! OOMPH!"

Zapp immediately stopped laughing when the angry Saddle Rager punched her grin off, and sent Zapp tumbling onto the floor, dropping her sword. Before Zapp could get up, Saddle Rager was already up on her, throwing punches towards Zapp's head, with the young swordswoman moving her head to the side, to avoid getting her face smashed in. Thankfully, a falling platform hits Saddle Rager on the head, distracting her for a moment, allowing Zapp to escape.

Stunned for a brief moment, Saddle rubbed her sore head, before she looked down and saw the unconscious body of Hum Drum, to which she finally came to her senses.

"Ken..." Saddle whimpered, as she begins to shrink down to her true meek self, before she looks at her surrounding, horrified at the destruction caused in her wake. "What have I done?!"

"Let's just get Hum Drum out of here," Masked Matter-Horn suggested.

"Hey, speaking of who," Fili-Second spoke up. "Where did that manager lady go?"

The manager was watching from her hiding place, seeing the Power Princesses struggling to calm the enraged, rampaging Saddle Rager, with Fili-Second doing her a solid of saving the priceless art collections. She went into her office to get some air, while keeping her head low, beneath the smoke, when she bumped into a person.

She yelped as she fell back, holding her hands up, expecting it to be another of the masked gunmen who attacked the place. However, when she looked up, she was frightened still, at the sight of a familiar woman with a bionic arm.

"Tempest Shadow?!" The manager exclaimed.

"Having trouble, I see," Tempest began as she picked the manager up, off the floor. "Perhaps you'd like to explain this to the Storm King."

After the Power Princesses escaped the burning building, while carrying an unconscious Hum Drum, the police and fire fighters soon arrived to put out the flames. In the meantime, the heroines found a secluded spot, where Spruce Spanner began to apply some medical treatments to Ken's burns and bruises.

"Aaah!" Hum Drum yelped, once he regained his consciousness. "Wha-what happened? Did we win?"

"Shhh, slowly, Hum Drum," Masked Matter-Horn cautioned. "Slowly."

"You took quite the hit, back there," Mistress Marvelous commented. "You're lucky to be alive from that blast back there."

"Oh...is that what happened?" Hum Drum groaned, as he got up and rubbed the back of his head. "I...I remember helping May get out, when...May! Where is she? Is she alright?" He exclaimed in concern.

"I'm okay, and here I am," A voice called, revealing herself to be none other than Mei Ling. "Thanks to you."

"Phew," Hum Drum breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god..."

"I'm...I'm terribly sorry for..." Spruce turned around to look at the burning building, shamefully. "For back there. I hope I didn't scare you too badly."

"Are you kidding me?" Mei Ling exclaimed excitedly. "That was the most intense thing I've ever seen! I was this close to the action! I've...I'VE NEVER FELT SO ALIVE!!!" She cheered. "I don't care what anyone else say, but you Power Princesses and Boy Wonder are okay in my book. Once I get to work on writing this story, I am so getting lots of followers and subscribers on my blog! Though, now that I think about it...maybe I should consider changing the title to something snappy, like...The Power Blog!"

There was a moment of awkward silence, before Mistress Marvelous broke the silence, "So glad our latest heroics is helping with boosting your journalist career."

"Anyway, while you're still here, and before we have anymore trouble tonight," Masked Matter-Horn began. "How about we take you home, to be safe?"

"No need," Mei Ling shook her head. "I just called dad. I told him I saw the commotion from across the street and I'm waiting for him here. He'll come and pick me up. Besides, dad wants me bright and early tomorrow for school. And I want to look my best for some old friends I'll be seeing. Namely Ken,” She giggled at the mention of the boy's name.

“...Right,” Hum Drum replied, while trying not to blurt out his real identity.

"Well, I gotta go," Mei Ling was about to take her leave, when she stopped. "Oh! By the way, I have something for you heroes," Reaching into her backpack, Mei Ling pulled out a familiar mask that belonged to one of the masked criminals.

"Whoa! Where'd you get that?" Hum Drum asked, as Mei Ling handed the mask to him and the Power Princesses.

"I found some of the masked men you've knocked out, back in the building," Mei Ling answered. "So I helped myself and snatched some of the masks, right off their faces. Besides, looks antique, and just thought maybe since we'll be working together, odds are, we could find a lead to who these masked criminals are and what their motives are."

"We?" Zapp asked. "Since when are we working together?"

"Since now," Mei Ling smiled as she handed the heroes a calling card. "If I ever need you, or vice-versa, here's my number and my address! Okay, bye!" With that, Mei Ling took her leave and headed towards the police officers, who were investigating the scene. Her dad is likely one of them.

"She's nice!" Fili–Second commented, as she and her teammates took their leave.

It was another new day at Maretropolis High. After a night of stopping a robbery, or at least nearly getting killed for trying, Ken was back on his feet for a new day at school, though his body was still aching from the recent fight.

He was greeted by both Gwen and Thor.

"Morning Ken!" Thor greeted, before he noticed the state Ken was in. "Whoa, are you alright? You looked like you've been hit by a bus, or something."

"I just...fell out of bed," Ken lied.

"Whoa, that must've been quite a fall..." Gabby commented, as she walked over to inspect the boy. "Ouch! I really big fall!" She said, when she noticed the bruise on the back of his head. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," Ken brushed her off. "Let's just get to class."

However, before the friends could head on to class, the principal made an announcement.

"Mr. Ken Heathspike, Mr. Thor Axel, and Miss Gwen Gryffindor, please report to the main foyer. A new student wishes to personally meet you three."

With that, the three friends all walked down to the said area, where the principal said the new student would be. Thor and Gwen were both anxious and excited to meet this new student, while Ken knew exactly who it is.

‘Where’s Mei Ling?’ He asked mentally, when a pair of hands blinded him.

“Guess who~” A voice sang from behind.

Thor and Gwen both turned around to look and were surprised to see who the new student is.

"Omigosh!" Gwen exclaimed.

"MAY?!" Thor gasped.

Playing along, Ken feigned shock, “No way!” He turned around to see the girl he had saved last night. “MAY!!!”

“Long time no see, my friends!” Mei Ling smiled. “Nǐ hǎo!”

"Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh, omigosh!" Gwen squeaked repeatedly, before she was the first to wrap Mei Ling in a loving hug. "I can't believe you're here after all this time!"

"Wow, May!" Thor smiled. "H-H-I don't believe this. You're here! How've you been?"

"Oh you know, same old, same old," May answered casually. "But it's really good to see you guys and gal again!"

"Back at ya, May," Ken replied. "So, when did you get here?" He asked, while secretly knowing the answer.

"Just yesterday," May answered. "My dad got a transfer here, from the Police Department of Lake Placid, New York. We're currently in the process of getting our stuff together and getting settled. But you won't believe what happened last night!"

"What? What happened?" Thor asked.

"I got to meet the Power Princesses and their Boy Wonder!"

"Whoa! No way!" Thor and Gwen gasped, with Ken playing along to act the part.

"How did you get to meet them?" Gwen asked.

To answer Gwen's question, Mei Ling went on to relay the skirmish at the Mistmane Auction House and how she was involved in it, and the aftermath.

"And now, I'm working alongside the heroes to get more scoops!" May smiled proudly.

"Wow, way to go, May!" Thor smiled.

"That is amazing!" Gwen said with starry-eyes.

"Yeah, what she said," Ken pointed to Gwen. 'Which reminds me,' He thought to himself. 'I need to get one of those masks check out to learn more about it. And I think I might know the person.'

Later, at the end of the day, Ken and the Power Princesses-in-disguises came over to Kirin's Care for a visit. At the front desk, they were greeted by Kisara.

"Hello there," Kisara greeted with a sad smile. "What brings you here?"

"If it's not much trouble, Mrs. Kisara," Ken began. "We're looking for Rain Shine and Phoenix Dawn."

"We have something we could use their expert opinion on," Trot added.

"I'm afraid Miss Rain Shine has to step out and run some errands," Kisara replied. "But her daughter's here. She just went to the storage room. It's just around that corner, at the end of the hallway."

"Thanks a lot!" Ken waved as he and the girls walked down the hallway, before they arrived at the said storage space, where Phoenix would be.

Upon entering the room, behind the stacks of boxes, Ken and the girls can hear a loud clicking noise, ringing through the air. Spruce was startled by the sound, as she frantically searches the left and the right, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise.

"What was that?" Spruce whimpered.

"Who's there?" A voice called from behind the boxes, scaring the boy and girls.

The creaking grew louder as it got closer, until stepping out from behind the boxes is none other than Phoenix Dawn, holding a box cutter knife.

"Oh! Konnichi wa Ken and friends!" Phoenix smiled, pulling on the knob, creating the same creaking noise from before, which sheathes the blade away. "How may I help you?" Phoenix asked, while putting the small utility knife away.

"Well, my friend Mei Ling was doing a story on art imports," Ken explained. "And she found this piece, and we know you happen to be an expert on–"

"And this might actually be the first time I put it to good use," The fiery girl smiled, knowing where the conversation was going, "Let's see what you have." With that, Ken reached into his backpack and pulled out the mask, "Whoa. Where'd she get this?" Phoenix asked, taking the object in her hands for closer examination.

"Uh, she....she didn't say," Ken lied. "But what is it? Do you know what it is?"

"Hmmmm, it looks almost like a replica of an antique Japanese Noh mask, specifically the Hannya," Phoenix answered solemnly. "Hannya's are usually demons of jealousy, hatred, anger, and sadness. Haven't seen these in a long time," The girl then turned over the mask to look at its under side, revealing a Japanese Kanji. "This Kanji roughly translates to 'Niriks.'"

"Niriks?"

"Fearsome beasts of pure fire," Phoenix muttered. "My brother used to read ghost stories with this mask and symbol on it. Saying that masks like these contain supernatural powers in them. Used to scare the hell out of me..."

"Wait a sec, you have a brother?" Dallas asked

"Y-Yes but that's not important right now." The fiery girl stuttered, as she handed the mask back to Ken, before she continued, "Listen, Ken. Your friend might want to look for a different story. That mask, it could be connected to dangerous people."

"Are you saying she's in trouble?" Ken asked.

"I...I don't know...but why take the risks?"